


A Room For Me

by LukeVonCastiel



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cissexism, F/F, M/M, Multi, On Hiatus, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Slow Build, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-07
Updated: 2014-02-23
Packaged: 2018-01-11 12:06:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1172873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LukeVonCastiel/pseuds/LukeVonCastiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>St Maria's Co-Educational Boarding College; a distinguished sixth form educational facility with highly respected staff, a sprawling campus, and a plethora of past achievements.</p>
<p>It is also the home of teenage dramas, romantic troubles, bad humour, and too many secrets, most of which are supplied by the boys of Room C14.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Goodbye, Hello (A)

_'This was a bad idea.'_

 Armin's stomach churned as Grisha Jaeger's car rounded the final bend in the road, past a row of large pine trees and into view of St Maria's Co-Educational Boarding College. He felt his confidence drain away as they drew closer to the high iron-wrought fences that surrounded the school property, all his courage dissipating in the face of his future.

  _'Why did you think you could do this Armin?'_ He thought, digging his fingers into the leather car seat. His knuckles went pale as his hands trembled, breath stuck in his throat. _'To think you could last in a prestigious place like this, and not just that, but board here? Like you are? Stupid stupid_ _ **stupid**_ _-'_

 'Armin?'

 Armin jumped as a voice broke him out of his mental rumination. He turned to look at Eren, exhaling heavily as he saw his friend's reassuring grin. On Eren's other side, Mikasa peered around. Though her expression was difficult to read, somewhat obscured by the thick red scarf she always wore, he could see the question in her eyes. _'Are you alright, Armin?'_

 “You alright there?” Eren asked, bringing Armin's attention back to him. 'You aren't having second thoughts about this again, are you?”

 Armin let out a shaky breathe, before smiling.

 “Can't really call them second thoughts if I'm having them again,” he said. Eren let out a snort, elbowing him in the side.

 “You know what I mean,” he laughed. “Don't worry about that shit-”

 “Eren.”

 “-man, you'll be fine.” Eren ignored his father's interruption, looking intently at him. “You're probably smarter than everyone here anyway. They're gonna look like a bunch of dumbasses-

 “Eren!”

 “-compared to you.”

 Armin laughed as Eren scowled at the back of his father's head, though it was obvious neither father nor son were annoyed with the other. The atmosphere was light, and it left a pleasant warm feeling in Armin's stomach despite the slight nausea he still felt. His fears weren't all related to academic worries, and every person in the car knew that.

 Swallowing, he looked past the front seats and out the window, at the foreboding brick structures beyond the fence that made up St Maria's. They were beautiful, but the grey clouds in the sky combined with his nerves gave it an ominous look. The concrete statues that stood on either side of the fast approaching gate didn't help the matter- soulless figures of St Rose and St Sina setting him on edge. St Maria was built atop the gate, her form currently split in twain as its two sides lay open for the students, parents, and staff that were arriving through the main entrance.

 Armin looked away, eyebrows furrowing as he felt fear rise within him again. The cold aura that hung over the school did nothing to calm him, and he could feel his fingernails digging into the seat beneath him in an attempt to calm down. He closed his eyes.

  _'You could've had a private room, you idiot,'_ he thought. _'Private dorm, all to yourself. You wouldn't have to worry about the others, what they'd think, if they'd-'_

 “Armin,” Eren murmured. Armin opened his eyes as he felt a warm hand cover his own, turning it over and weaving their fingers together. “It's gonna be fine, yeah?” He flashed a cocky grin as he squeezed Armin's hand tightly. “'sides, I'll deck anyone who gives you trouble!”

 “Eren...” Grisha sighed loudly. Armin recognised it as the 'sigh of defeat', a sound made when the older man knew there was no stopping his son. It always made Armin feel slightly guilty, as Grisha had never sighed like this before Carla had died, but he'd been more concerned about Eren's safety after his wife's passing.

 Of course, it wasn't really Armin's fault. He didn't do anything to make Eren start fights in school corridors or swear at teachers.

  _'Except if you were stronger, he wouldn't need to put himself in harm's way. If you weren't fucked up, then the fights would never have any reason to start.'_

 He clutched Eren's hand tightly.

  _'Maybe it is my fault.'_

 The rest of the car trip was made in relative silence, only broken by a rather loud sneeze from Eren and a chorus of 'bless yous' and Mikasa's 'are you getting a cold?' They passed through the open gates and continued driving down the road, now gravel rather than asphalt and turned into the car park set aside for parents to drop off their children.

 Armin's stomach rolled as the car pulled to a stop, and Grisha undid his seatbelt. He was finally here, at the place he'd be living for the next few years, and all he wanted to do is sink into his seat and disappear. He still couldn't believe he was doing this.

 “Well, we're here!” Eren exclaimed, releasing Armin's hand and giving him a nudge. “Come on, I want to get to our dorm before the other guys steal the best beds, if any of 'em bothered to arrive today that is.” Armin swallowed thickly at the thought of their room mates, before releasing his seatbelt with a click and opening his door. Mikasa had already exited the car from the other side, and had moved along to assist Grisha in removing their suitcases from the boot of the car.

 Armin slid out his door, Eren practically toppling out after him, and moved around to the back of the car. By the time he reached it Mikasa had already removed all the suitcases and was standing beside Grisha, peering over his arm at the campus map.

 “Looks like the boy's dorms are over there,” Grisha stated, pointing back over his shoulder. “Girl's dorms are on the opposite side.”

 Armin looked toward the left, at the large building that Grisha had indicated was the boy's dorms. It was a three storey structure with a small garden surrounding the perimeter. From where he stood, he could see the fields that stretched out behind the dorms, along with the forest that backed onto the school, spilling onto its grounds. Around the edge of the dorm were small balconies, designed so that the second and third storey inhabitants could appreciate the view. Hanging above the dorm was the emblem of St Rose, and along the gutters of the roof were several statues of their dorm's patron saint.

  _'This place isn't even religious.'_

“Guess that's our home for the next few years, huh?” Eren said, throwing an arm around Armin's shoulders. Armin's stomach did a flip, but that really wasn't anything new in regards to his stomach's behaviour, especially not today, and _especially_ not in regard to Eren's half-hugs.

 He sort of wished they were real hugs.

 “I'll be in Dorm Sina,” Mikasa muttered, casting her eyes over the dorms. Armin looked back to see they were basically identical to Dorm Rose, except for the emblem and decorative statues that surrounded it. “But I'll visit regularly.”

 “Mikasa-”

 “Eren,” Mikasa continued. “I'll visit regularly.”

 Eren shook his head but didn't press his sister any further. Instead he released Armin and strolled over to his suitcases, hefting one up under his arm and grabbing the wheeled one's handle in the other. Then he approached his father for the expected goodbye. Armin followed, fumbling and dropping his bag once before finally getting a good grip on it. His cheeks flushed and his arms trembled.

  _'These bags aren't that heavy!'_ He thought miserably, watching as Mikasa took up her own bags with ease. He bit his lip before taking a few steps forward, testing the weight. It was...manageable, or it'd have to be. He wasn't going to burden either of his friends with his bags.

 “Don't do anything too stupid,” Armin heard Grisha murmur, leaning down to press a kiss to Eren's forehead despite his son's protests. Grisha merely laughed as his son flailed, rambling on about how embarrassing he was and ' _I'm in high school damn it I don't need you make kissy faces and yuck!'_ Armin could see the glint in his eyes though, the spark of anxiety he felt for his son.

 “Dad.” Mikasa's clear voice drew Grisha's attention to her. The man smiled fondly down at his adopted daughter, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I'll take care of Eren and Armin.”

 “I don't doubt that,” Grisha chuckled, “but take care of yourself too, alright.” Mikasa nodded, before looking over at Armin. Her eyes were fierce for a moment, then she turned back to her father.

 “I'll deck anyone who hurts either of them.”

 Grisha groaned loudly, his glasses slipping down as he massaged the bridge of his nose. Mikasa simply looked back up at him, stoic as ever.

 “Don't worry, I won't get hurt,” she said. “And I'll stop Eren if he tries to do anything stupid.”

 “Mikasa!” Eren exclaimed. Mikasa simply gave him a levelled look. A challenge, to see if he'd even attempt to justify his often reckless and foolish actions to her. He didn't though, and Grisha shook his head fondly before ruffling Mikasa's hair.

 “Well, if one of you has to do the decking, I'd much prefer it be you. You'dbeat Eren every time.”

 “Dad!!”

 Armin laughed along with everyone else as Eren glowered at them, green eyes fiery. Then Grisha turned to him and Armin felt his nerves kick back up again, butterflies going wild in his stomach. He approached Grisha awkwardly. Though he'd known the man longer than Mikasa had, she was still his adopted daughter and Armin was only his son's best friend.

 That didn't stop Grisha from placing a hand on his shoulder and bending down to talk to him. Armin found he couldn't look away from the older man, his expression too serious to ignore.

 “If anything goes wrong, don't be afraid to call me,” he murmured. “You've got the best judgement Armin, and I trust you to make the right decisions.” Armin nodded, hands clammy. “And if anything goes wrong, anyone makes things difficult for you, the staff can always get you a room on your own if you need one.” Then Grisha stood back and removed his hand.

 “And make sure to call your grandfather.”

 “I will, Mr Jaeger,” Armin said, before stepping back. Grisha smiled at the three of them, standing side by side. Eren was fidgeting a little, clearly eager to head off to their dorm and claim a space.

 “I'm so proud of all of you.”

 “Dad, can we skip the cheese?”

 “Alright, alright.” Grisha said. “Eren I expect a call at least once a fortnight. Mikasa, Armin, make sure he does it.”

 “I will.”

 “Mikasa!”

 “Goodbye, kids.” Grisha gave their heads all one final ruffling, Eren complaining about being 'sixteen not six' as he did so. Then he was in the car and driving off, leaving the three of them standing outside in the carpark with their bags.

 For about one point five seconds, which was the exact amount of time it took for Eren to shoot off toward Dorm Rose.

 “Eren!” Armin cried out, almost tripping over his feet as he stepped forward. Mikasa's hand shot out to stop him, catching him before he hit the ground and setting him upright again. “Uh, thanks Mikasa.”

 “Be careful.” Then she picked up her bags and turned toward Dorm Sina, her eyes darting back once to on Eren before she continued on her way. Armin didn't doubt that he'd see her again today, checking in to make sure Eren hadn't set their rooms on fire or demolished a wall.

 With a heavy sigh and a queasy stomach, Armin turned to look at Dorm Rose again. Eren has stopped, a little way from the entrance. Despite himself, a smile found its way to his lips. _'I guess if we stick together things can't go too wrong.'_

  _'Plus sharing a room with Eren...'_

  _'Stop it Armin!'_

 He gave his head a firm shake before trudging after Eren, watching from the spot he'd chosen to stand. Other students moved about, though not as many as there would be if they'd come on Monday instead of Saturday. Armin beamed despite himself. He'd suggested the weekend move-in, to avoid clashing with the rush of other students that would show up on Monday to prepare for the first day of school.

 With a loud huff he reached Eren's side, the other boy rocking back and forth.

 “Come on, come on! We've gotta get a good claim on the beds. We've gotta share our room with six other guys you know?”

 “Isn't it only five?” Armin grimaced, the thought of sharing his room with five, or six, people who weren't Eren enough to make him uncomfortable.

 “Meh, five other guys then,” Eren shrugged, walking over to the entrance. Armin followed him in, wiping his feet on the entrance mat- something Eren ignored entirely, and stepping over the threshold into Dorm Rose.

 The lobby was fairly pleasant, warmly lit and decorated in a manner that seemed almost homely. Directly opposite the entrance were a set of stairs heading up and a door behind them, leading to the space behind the dormitories. On the right side of the room shelves displaying the awards that students of Dorm Rose had won over the years sat, filled with trophies and plaques. Small banners and flags hung from nails, alongside a variety of school photographs placed around the wall. Comfortable chairs sat against the wall, alongside a rather large fish tank which housed several goldfish, swimming contently.

 Along the left side sat the administrator's desk, currently inhabited by a man with angular features, short hair, and a penchant for brightly coloured roses, if the décor were anything to go by. Vibrant flowers spilled out of vases, jars, and lay splayed out among the papers on the desk, the man behind it showing no concern for the floral infestation.

 Just beyond the small room set aside for the administrator, and the building's supervisors, lay a large open area filled with chairs, a large television set, and a couple of computers. Armin assumed it was the common room, for students who had no desire to hang out in their own room's lounge. Beyond that, the corridor stretched out on both the left and right sides to the first floor rooms.

 “Huh, flowers,” Eren said, staring over at the administrator's desk. “Lots and lots of...flowers.”

 Before Armin could comment on the 'lots and lots of flowers', the man behind the desk looked up. Spotting the two young men, he smiled and beckoned them over.

 “You some of the new kids?” He asked, leaning back in his chair slightly and tugging out a drawer. From where he stood Armin couldn't see what it contained, but he guessed it would be the files for all the new students staying in Dorm Rose.

 “Uh, yeah,” Eren answered flatly. “That obvious?”

 “Well, you're pretty short so I just assumed you were young, which translates to 'new',” the man behind the desk smirked, causing Eren to let out a loud huff of air in surprise. Armin couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. His eyes were practically bugging out of his head at the man's blunt words. “Anyway, names?”

 “I'm not that short,” Eren grumbled, before straightening up, trying to appear taller. “Eren Jaeger.”

 “And I'm Armin. Armin Arlert.”

 “Hmm,” the man hummed, sifting through the files before tugging two out, placing them both on the desk before him. “Armin Arlert, Eren Jaegar. Here we go.” He flipped the first file open, tugging a small plastic card from the sleeve inside. He did the same with the other, before sliding the two cards across the table, along with two sets of keys.

 “Those are your Student IDs, and the keys for your room. You're both on the third floor, room C14. Shouldn't be too hard to find.” He paused for a moment. “I'm pretty sure two of your room mates are already in there.”

 “Aw dang,” Eren sighed. “Told you we should've hurried Armin.” Armin shrugged, trying to ignore his nerves as they burst back to life. _'You're going to screw this up, you're going to screw this up.'_

 “Anyway, you've basically got free reign over your time, for the moment. Classes don't start until Tuesday, and that'll mostly just be orientation and the like. Meal timetables are posted in the rooms, though there's no requirement to go.” He stopped, glancing over Armin's shoulder at the door where another student had just entered. “And I'm Henning, by the way. Administrative Supervisor of Dorm Rose. Contact me if anything goes wrong while you're here. There's a phone in your room.”

 Then he waved them off as the newcomer approached, looking somewhat overwhelmed. Armin had no doubts he looked the same, bubbles of anxiety bursting within him. Eren still looked as excited as ever, clutching his bags tightly as he headed over to the stairs.

  _'Stairs. Great.'_

 Tackling the stairs was a greater task than either Armin or Eren had anticipated. Eren cursed every time one of his bags swung and smacked against him, but Armin didn't have the energy to even chuckle at his misfortune as he lagged behind, tripping up the final step and nearly slamming into Eren who was resting at the top.

 “At least we don't have to do that with bags everyday,” Eren said, breathing heavily through his nose. “Anyway, come on. I want to dump this shit and meet our roomies.”

 “Y-yeah, okay,” Armin nodded, ignoring the stitch he'd received from climbing the stairs and following Eren as he walked down the corridor. He could hear a couple of voices from some of the rooms, but for the most part it was fairly quiet. The clattering of wheels did nothing to distract Armin from the cesspool of negative thoughts that had crept into his mind once more.

  _'They're going to be unfriendly, they're going to hate you, you're going to let them down, they're going to_ find out _and then they'll think you're a freak freak freak.'_

  _'It'll be okay. It'll be okay. Besides, I've got Eren.'_

  _'Eren's another problem entirely. Or are we just going to ignore your fee_ _l_ _-'_

 “This is it!” Eren exclaimed, dropping one of his bags to clap Armin on the shoulder. Armin's stomach did a flip, though whether it was from the proximity to his new 'home' or Eren's sudden touch he didn't know. “Room C14. Home for the next year. Whatever.”

 “Yeah,” Armin said, his throat suddenly dry. Eren paused for a moment, before dropping his hand from Armin's shoulder and wrapping it around his right hand. Armin smiled. There was something comforting about Eren's hands. Since they'd been toddlers dragging each other around through the grass, to their first years of school, to the long nights when Armin cried because no one understood _why_ he was the way he was, to the funeral of his parents, and then Carla Jaeger's death.

 Eren's hand was the most comforting thing he could think of. He only hoped his hands could be the same.

 “It's gonna be fine, Armin,” Eren grinned. “It's gonna be great.”

 “Yeah.”

 This time, Armin meant it.

 Then Eren released Armin's hand and knocked on the door. He was louder than necessary, but Eren always was. Then he reached down to pick up the bag he'd dropped, and Armin listened to the sounds coming from beyond the door.

 “Reiner, there was...”

 “Ah yeah, I'll get it Bertl. Just give me a sec- ack!”

 The muffled sound of someone struggling could be heard through the door, and then it was open and Armin's view of the room beyond was blocked by an incredibly large young man. His bulk was entirely muscle, made clear by the tight shirt he currently wore that hugged his chest and arms. His shoulders were broad, and he dwarfed both Armin and Eren. But his eyes were warm and bright, and his grin was infectious.

 “You two must be our new roomies!” He said. “Sorry about the wait, had to get a shirt on. Didn't know if you'd be ready to meet 'the Brauns' yet.”

 There was a choked cough from further in the room.

 “I think we've already met 'the Brauns',” Eren muttered, staring at the wide expanse of chest in front of him. “Your shirt leaves-”

 “Very little to the imagination,” the man laughed. “Anyway, I'm Reiner. Reiner Braun, if you hadn't already guessed. Welcome to our party hub.” Still grinning he stood back, holding out his arm in the direction of the 'party hub'.

 It was a relatively large space, with a lounge and several smaller couches set up in front of a television set. A couple of bean bags- one bright pink, the other maroon- lay on the floor, which was covered in plush red carpet with a shaggy rug in the middle. At the opposite end of the room lay a small kitchenette, with shuttered windows in the back wall. There was also a small dining table, and a couple of chairs to accompany it. Around the room were four other doors, which presumably lead to the bedrooms. Armin assumed that there were bathrooms, most likely ensuites, one on either side of the room.

 “Ah, I'm Eren Jaeger, and this is Armin Arlert.” Eren's voice brought Armin's attention back to their new room mate, who was still beaming down at them.

 “Good to meet you!” Armin said, voice a pitch higher than he'd intended. His face felt hot, but Reiner simply laughed, a good-natured chuckle that set a comfortable mood.

 “Pleasure to meet you both,” Reiner grinned. “Come on in, it's just me and Bertl right now; no one else has arrived.”

 Armin followed Eren in, striding past Reiner who shut the door behind them. Eren dumped his bags in the middle of the room, stretching his arms above his head and letting out a grunt. Armin placed his own cases down with more care, before turning to look back at Reiner.

 “You mentioned someone else?”

 “Oh, yeah. Bertl. You still hiding in the bedroom?”

 In response to Reiner's call, one of the doors at the back of the room opened. From within emerged one of of the tallest people Armin had ever seen. His height did not come with confidence though, as he hunched over slightly, sweat dripping off his brow. He looked worse than Armin felt, hands twisted together, tugging the sleeves of his blue sweater. His eyes caught Armin's only once, before they trailed down the length of his sharp nose to the ground.

 “Bertl, this is Eren and Armin!” Reiner exclaimed, walking over to his friend. 'Bertl' looked up at Reiner, but didn't stop him when the blond pushed him slightly forward. The two approached the centre of the room where Eren and Armin stood.

 “Ah, nice to meet you Bertl!” Eren forced an awkward grin. 'Bertl's' face flushed slightly, and he cleared his throat.

 “It's Bertholdt, actually.” His voice was soft, barely even a whisper.

 “Oh, ah, Bertholdt then,” Eren said. 'Sorry, didn't mean to, ahhh...”

 “Nah, it's my fault,” Reiner interjected, voice cutting through the awkward atmosphere. “I go around calling him Bertl just 'cause it's what I've always done, but it embarrasses him.” Bertholdt made a small sound in the back of his throat, but did nothing else.

 “You're childhood friends?” Armin asked, curiosity getting the better of him. The two before him did seem surprisingly intimate. _'Sort of like Eren and me...'_

  _'Except they don't have a crush on their best friend.'_

 “Yeah, Bertl and I go way back.” Reiner slung an arm around Bertholdt's shoulders. “Back to the diaper days...”

 “Reiner!” Bertholdt squirmed. Reiner simply laughed, and Armin found he couldn't help joining in. Bertholdt didn't seem _too_ bothered after all. A little red in the face, and still sweaty, but that appeared to be his default state.

 “Hey, Armin and I are the same!” Eren exclaimed.

 “Hah, what'd you know,” Reiner said. “Anyway, you guys might want to pick out a room. Back right is Bertl's and mine, but the other rooms are a free-for-all.” He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. “But I'd recommend the back left. Back rooms get a door to the balcony after all.”

 “Ah, thanks, I guess we'll check it out,” Eren replied, before picking up his bags and walking over to the back left door. Armin took hold of his own belongings, but remained where he was when Bertholdt made a small noise. The other man loomed over him, though Reiner had left them both to go rummage around in the kitchenette.

 The taller boy looked as if he wanted to speak, awkwardly wiping the sweat from his face with the back of his sleeve. Armin found he couldn't move, the idea of walking off whilst his new room mate attempted to say something too rude to comprehend. So he stood still, smiling up at the darker boy.

 “W-we're uh...” Betholdt began, trailing off. He glanced over his shoulder at Reiner, and Armin could see the blond smiling over at them both. Bertholdt turned back, clearing his throat. “We're making lunch, if you want any. It's nothing much-”

 “Just Reiner Braun's Bara Titty Surprise.”

 “But- what!?” Bertholdt stumbled over his words, as Reiner leant against the kitchen counter and guffawed. Armin choked, his laughter getting caught in his throat as Bertholdt's face lit up. “Reiner, please.”

 “Alright, alright, no Bara Titties today,” Reiner sighed. “We can have boring old ham'n'cheese and spreads and fairy bread with the crusts cut off.”

 “Fairy bread...?” Armin looked at Reiner for an explanation, but the other man just hummed, giving Bertholdt a knowing look before rummaging through the drawers. Bertholdt was still bright red, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. Armin felt trapped, unsure whether he should walk away or wait for Bertholdt to do something.

 Fortunately, Eren chose that moment to rescue Armin from the situation, poking his head out the door.

 “Armin, come check it out!” He waved his hand around a bit, beckoning for him to come closer. Armin glanced up at Bertholdt, who managed a weak smile before turning and walking toward Reiner.

 “Armin!”

 Armin couldn't help but grin as Eren flailed by the door. With his cases in hand he headed over to his friend and entered. The room itself was fairly large, with another door just along the wall from the one Armin had passed through. The door itself was open, revealing an ensuite just beyond- one that was clearly connected to one of the other bedrooms.

  _'Bertholdt and Reiner probably have one just like it in their room,'_ he thought, furrowing his brows. He'd hoped to avoid sharing a bathroom with anyone aside from Eren, but he supposed he'd manage. He'd simply have to leave some of his private hygienic products in their bedroom.

 The room also had a third door. Built intothe back wall, it opened onto the balcony Armin had seen from outside, looking out over the green fields beyond the dorms. There were two beds, one on either side of room, a large wardrobe on the left side of the room, and two small bedside tables. Above both beds were small, currently open windows. The décor was relatively plain, but it was a comfortably-sized room for two and the breeze was nice.

 “What do you think?” Eren asked, flopping down on his back and grinning up at Armin. Lying on the bed with his hair around his face and his bright eyes looking up at him, arms splayed out as if waiting for him to join him in bed, Armin knew what he thought.

  _'You're beautiful.'_

 “It's nice,” he answered, dragging his cases over to the left bed and dropping them. Then he fell onto the bed, lying on his stomach with his head turned to look at Eren. “Comfy. I could get used to it.”

 “I hope you can, we'll be here for a while,” Eren laughed “Ah, this is gonna be great. Reiner and Bertholdt seem nice, this room's pretty sweet, and...” He rolled onto his side, head propped up on one arm, and smiled at him. “I get to spend an entire year with you beside me. Or, well, more than a year. More like three. Hah, it'll be like one of those adventures we always said we'd go on...”

 Armin's heart beat faster, Eren's voice fading out as his earlier words repeated in his mind.

 ' _I get to spend an entire year with you beside me.'_

  _'..an entire year with you beside me.'_

  _'...you beside me.'_

  _'Stop it Armin!'_

 “Armin?”

 Armin jolted up, all pleasant thoughts gone as a myriad of reasons why coming here was a bad idea took their place.

  _'I could fail the school work, the other room mates could be awful, you'll get annoyed with me after staying with me for so long, you'll find out I like you and freak, they could find out they could find out oh god they could find out about me.'_

 “Armin!”

 Armin jumped, feeling a hand on his shoulder. Eren had moved from the bed to his side, eyes locked on his own. Armin felt his breathing calm down, though toxic thoughts still haunted his mind, clawing at the corners.

 “Hey, Armin,” Eren murmured, his hand moving from his shoulder to one of Armin's own, just as it had outside the dorm door before. “It'll be okay, you know. I know you've got a lot to worry about, and you always see the things I miss but...it's gonna be fine. And I meant what I said. I'll deck anyone who gives you shit about anything. Mikasa too. We'll always have your back, if you need us.”

 “I know. I just...” Armin sighed, his free hand wandering to his chest and pressing against it. He could feel the stiffness of the binder beneath his shirts, compressing his flesh until it lay flat. He ignored the stinging behind his eyes as frustration welled within him.

 He'd chosen to come here. He'd wanted to come here. St Maria's was, by all accounts, a prestigious school that could help both him and his friends achieve great things. The administration had at least accepted Armin's enrolment, and allowed him to room with other males despite his differences.

 He wanted to be here, with Eren and Mikasa. He'd been so excited looking up the programs, the successes of past students, the excellency of the teachers and staff.

  _'_ _But_ _I'm scared,'_ he thought, wiping at his eyes before any tears could fall. He'd cried in front of Eren before, but he didn't like to do it. He had no desire to burden his friends any more than he already did.

 “I-I'll be okay,” he stuttered, taking a shaky breath. “Even if they find out, I'll be fine. I can do this.”

 “I know you can.” Eren clutched his hand tighter. “Oh, and give me a sec.” He stood up, walking across the rooms to his haphazardly placed bags and rummaging through one of them. After tossing the majority of his clothing around the room- making it look much more like the bedrooms Eren had previously inhabited-, he let out a noise of triumph and held a plush toy up in the air.

 “You brought Rogue!” Armin exclaimed.

 “Yep, and Mikasa brought Hero!” Eren said, ducking down beside Armin's bags. “Did you bring Bard?”

 “Yeah!”

 “Good, good.” Eren mumbled as he shifted through Armin's things, with more care than his own, and pulled out another plush toy. Then he sat back down on Armin's bed, holding the two toys out in front of him. Armin smiled down at them, reaching out to take hold of his own.

 The two toys had been made years ago, back when they were five. Sewn by Carla Jaeger, as she listened to them both rant excessively about how they wanted their toy to look. Eren's Rogue was bizarre, a somewhat creepy humanoid with strange teeth, a lot of hair, and completely naked. He'd claimed it was 'cool', his 'ultimate form'.

 Armin's Bard was a bit less odd, a simple version of himself in a brightly-coloured tunic, with a large floppy hat and a feather. Carla had insisted upon giving it pink cheeks and a pudgy nose, determined to make it as cute as the real Armin. Armin hadn't minded. He was just happy she hadn't objected to making it a 'boy', otherwise he doubted he'd still be able to look at it and smile as he now did.

 Years later, when the Jaegar's had adopted Mikasa, Carla had made her a toy too. She'd dressed it in plush armour and a bright red scarf, and Mikasa had smiled and named it Hero. _'Because I'll always protect Eren and Armin,'_ she'd said, when Carla had asked her why. _'I'll always be their hero.'_

 “I didn't think you'd bring Rogue,” Armin murmured, running a thumb along the stitching of Bard's mouth.

 “Of course I'd bring Rogue,” Eren huffed.

 “Weren't you just complaining to your dad that you were 'sixteen not six'?”

“Oi! This is different. Rogue's cool. Beside, we can't split these guys up. They're a group, after all. Rogue needs Bard, Bard needs Rogue, same with Hero. It means no matter what happens, it'll be okay, cause we're all here for each other.”

“Yeah...”

The two sat in silence for a moment, before Eren snorted.

“Didn't I tell my dad to cut it out with the cheese too?”

“It can't be helped Eren. Cheese is genetic.”

“No!”

Armin burst out laughing, Eren's exaggerated cry cracking in the middle. He ducked as Eren swatted at him with Rogue, before darting off the bed and across the room. Eren lunged after him, tackling him onto the other bed. Armin looked up at Eren, eyes wide, before the boy above him fell into hysterics. Then he collapsed to the side and they laid there, ignoring their bags.

For a while, all that could be heard was their laughter, fading away into heaving breathing as the two exhausted themselves. Armin couldn't remove the smile from his face, despite the faint pangs of anxiety he still felt. Eren made everything better. That didn't mean that things weren't sad, or scary, but it meant that even when things were darkest there was always a little hope.

_'You're so disgustingly in love.'_

_'Arminnnnnnn.'_

A sudden knock on the door broke through Armin's thoughts, making both him and Eren jump.

“Lunch is ready if you guys want any!” Reiner's voice came from behind the door.

“Ack, I forgot about that,” Armin muttered, glancing over at Eren. “But yeah, Reiner and Bertholdt made...sandwiches, I think. And apparently fairy bread.”

“Fairy bread!?”

Armin simply shrugged at the other boy, pushing himself up off the bed and walking back over to his own. He placed Bard on the sheets, then turned to the door. Eren was already there holding it open, peering out in shock.

“T-that's a lot of sandwiches.”

Armin joined him in the doorway, looking out at the dining table. On its surface was a large plate covered in sandwiches, each one cut into triangles and positioned haphazardly on top of the others. Reiner stood beside it, looking ridiculously proud of his gravity-defying sandwich tower. Bertholdt sat next to him, a tiny plate in front of him with only a single sandwich upon it.

“I'd like to present to you, new roomies, Reiner Braun's Sandwich Tower of Deliciousness!” Reiner announced. “It's beauty only beaten by the sheer wonder of its taste, full of flavour and unprecedented awesomeness.”

“Woah...” Eren gaped at it, slowing approaching as if mesmerised. Reiner's grin only grew in size, before he pushed out the second dining chair and Eren sat on it. Then with little concern for dignity or decency, Eren began shovelling sandwiches into his face.

_'I guess we haven't eaten since breakfast...'_ Armin's lips quirked up in an awkward smile. Eren continued to fill his face with food as Reiner whooped.

“You set a new record for inhaling food Eren.”

Armin chuckled softly at that, walkingtoward the table. He surveyed the sandwiches as best he could, even with Eren shoving them in his face constantly, before picking out one that appeared to be plain peanut butter.

It was then he realised that there were no more dining seats, with Bertholdt and Eren having already claimed them. He stood awkwardly for a moment, catching Reiner's eye. The larger boy looked down, giving him a wink and grabbing about half the remaining sandwiches for himself.

“Bertl, sit with me?” He asked, nudging his friend with his leg. Bertholdt looked up from his sandwich- an open one, with the crusts cut off and hundreds and thousands spread all over the margarine.

_'So the fairy bread was for him...'_ Armin thought. He jumped when Bertholdt suddenly stood, nearly knocking his chair backwards. He held his small plate in his hands, sweating profusely.

“S-sorry,” he stuttered. “I didn't mean to hog all the space.”

“No, no, it's fine! You were here first, you can stay sitting if you want!” Armin said. Reiner raised an eyebrow at him, then turned to Bertholdt and pouted. He looked rather like a duck.

“But Bertl,” Reiner said, exaggerating his voice in such a whiny manner that Eren nearly choked on his food, “would you really leave poor Armin with _me_? By the end of the day he'd be trapped, spiralling into jock-ish party boy oblivion with no escape, no way out, no-”

Reiner ceased speaking, his face breaking out into an 'even-wider-than-usual' grin as Bertholdt made a weird choking sound in the back of his throat. Armin's eyes widened as he realised the other boy was trying not to laugh.

“Anyway, you two feel free to finish these off. Bertl and I've got all we need here.” Armin could only agree with Reiner, as the bulkier male showed off the sandwiches he had cradled in his arms. Bertholdt's single sandwich seemed a little meagre for a boy his height, but he assumed that Reiner would be sharing his own pile of sandwiches with his friend.

Armin watched the two walk over to the couches before taking up Bertholdt's seat, cringing slightly at the sweaty heat of it. He didn't complain about it though, his limited knowledge of the taller boy indicating that he'd probably have a heart attack if he realised it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Bertholdt watching him.

_'He's probably already worrying about it.'_ Sighing internally, he turned to face forward, sandwich raised to his lips, and spluttered.

“Eren!”

Eren looked back at him with wide eyes, face inflated like a chipmunk's, full of food. Reiner and Bertholdt laughed from the couches, and Armin couldn't help but smile as he shook his head.

_'Oh Eren...'_

_  
_

….............

 The rest of the day passed pleasantly. After lunch, Armin and Eren had returned to their room to unpack their things properly. Ultimately this meant that Armin organised everything and Eren wandered in and out of the room like a lost puppy. Both Reiner and Bertholdt had offered to help, but Armin had turned them down. He had no desire for either of them to stumble across his private belongings and start asking questions.

Mikasa had also shown up, as Armin predicted. After politely speaking with Reiner, Bertholdt having retreated to his bedroom at the sound of her knocking, she had let herself into their bedroom and assisted with the final stage of unpacking. It had been a relatively quiet affair, the silence only interrupted by Mikasa asking questions about their new room mates and Eren answering. She left just before dinner, having promised one of her new room mates- a girl named Krista- that she'd eat with them.

Dinner in Room C14 was decidedly louder than lunch, with Reiner insisting they all sat on the couch while they ate and watch some anime. Of course by watch Reiner had meant 'shout loudly at the same time as the protagonist- or for any other reason- and jostle the couch with the force of your cheering'. It was something Eren enjoyed at least, though Armin spent most of his time sharing sympathetic glances with Bertholdt.

“Wooh, water fight!” Reiner roared, nearly spilling his bowl of cereal on Eren. Armin almost fell off the lounge from the sheer force of Reiner's movements, not helped at all by Eren joining in his enthusiastic cheering. For the millionth- actually the tenth, if he were honest with himself- time that night, Armin glanced over at Bertholdt.

The taller boy sat on one of the bean bags, positioned a little way away from the couch so as to avoid Reiner's swinging arms. He didn't return Armin's look, instead staring at Reiner out of the corner of his eye. There was a light blush on his cheeks. It was a little odd.

_'Well, there is a wet, naked man on the screen Armin,'_ he thought. He turned back to the television as the two men on the screen finished their water fight. They began discussing some strange red object, but Armin found he couldn't pay attention. His muscles still throbbed from moving his bags around earlier, his chest acted from prolonged use of his binder, and after a three hour long car trip and hours spent trying to organise Eren and fix up their rooms, he struggled to keep his eyes open.

He had just closed them when Reiner started shouting again, causing him to shoot forward in panic.

“Uwha!?”

“Armin?” Eren placed a hand on his shoulder. Armin blinked, feeling his face heat up as he noticed both Reiner and Bertholdt looking at him with slightly shocked expressions. Clearing his yelping had sounded nothing like Reiner and Eren's own ridiculous cheering.

“A-ah, sorry,” he said, cheeks flaming. “I-I kind of zoned out and your shouting surprised me.”

“Haha, sorry about that,” Reiner chuckled. “I guess it makes sense that you're tired. You looked pretty exhausted when you arrived and you've been moving stuff around since then.” He reached over Eren to ruffle Armin's hair. “I'll hush up a bit, and you should head to bed.”

“Yeah,” Armin mumbled, eyelids heavy. “Thanks for dinner guys.”

“It was a bowl of Fruit Loops Armin.”

Armin snorted at that, pushing himself up off the couch. He scooped up his cereal bowl and headed over to the sink. Too tired to do much else, he rinsed it out and left it sitting there. He jumped slightly at a sudden shuffling beside him, but calmed the moment he realised it was Eren.

“Figured I should head to bed too,” was all he said, tossing his own bowl on top of Armin's. Armin managed a sleeping grin, glad to have Eren with him even if he was only going to bed.

“Night guys!” Reiner called from the couch. Armin turned to give them a tired wave, which Bertholdt returned shyly. The tall boy had clambered onto the couch in the time it had taken both Eren and Armin to leave it and clean their bowls.

“Night,” Eren said, letting out a loud yawn as he opened their bedroom door and went inside. Armin followed, closing it behind him. Too tired to do much else outside routine, he headed into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and relieved himself, then let Eren in to have his turn.

With a huff, he picked his pyjamas out of his case and laid them on the bed. Before he could remove his daywear however, he heard a thwack from the bathroom.

“Ow ow geez!” The muffled sound of Eren's voice came from beyond the bathroom door. Armin rolled his eyes.

_'Eren...'_

Without further distractions, he quickly removed his clothes and replaced them with his pyjamas. He let out a sigh of relief as he tugged off his binder, folding it carefully and placing it under his pillow. Then he turned to the bathroom door and knocked lightly.

“You alright in there?”

“Yeah, yeah, just whacked my shin. Tch.”

“Klutz.”

“Hah, look whose talking! Remember that time-”

“I probably do,” Armin cut him off, laughing slightly. “Anyway, if you're okay I'm heading to bed.”

“Alright Armin.”

Armin's eyes were closed by the time he reached his bed. He flopped on top of the sheets, one hand trying to pull them out from underneath him and the other reaching for Bard. The sheets were stuck quite firmly under him though, and too tired to care, he simply clutched his plush toy close to his chest and began to doze off.

_'I guess this isn't so bad,'_ he thought. _'Panicking in the car earlier seems silly now, but it's only the first day. The work hasn't even started, you've only met two of your room mates, none of them have stumbled in and seen you shirtless yet, you haven't accidentally proposed to Eren, there's so much that could still go wr-'_

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door. He raised his head tiredly to look at Eren. The other boy glanced at him, shook his head, and then walked over and promptly tugged his blankets out from underneath him. With a grin the other boy pulled them over Armin, right up to his neck, then turned and jumped into his own bed.

“Goodnight, Armin.”

“Goodnight Eren.”

Blankets warm around him, Bard in his arms, and Eren just across the room, Armin managed to smile as he drifted to sleep.

_'...maybe it'll all be okay, Armin. Maybe it'll all be okay.'_


	2. Breakfast, Voices (A)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'He assumed they were supplied by Reiner and Bertholdt, as he doubted any school would keep seven boxes of Fruit Loops in their students' rooms.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !! Warning: mentions of transphobic bullying and slurs toward the end !!

Armin woke the next morning with a groan, rolling over and peering blearily across the room. Sunlight filtered through the small gaps in the blinds, leaving golden lines along the floor, and birds twittered softly on the balcony outside. He struggled to appreciate it though, his mind focusing on the object digging into his left side.

  _'Bard...'_

 Armin shifted, pulling the plush toy out from beneath him. He gave it a tired, if slightly pained grin, and placed it behind his pillow. Then he fell back against the mattress. His eyes travelled over to Eren, still sleeping in his own bed.

 The other lay with an arm hanging off the side, the rest of his limbs splayed over the sheets. The blankets hadn't lasted the night, lying on the floor at the foot of the bed. Rogue was no luckier, having tumbled off onto the carpet between Eren's bed and his own. But despite the state the bed was in, Eren himself looked serene, his face free of the whirlwind of emotions it often expressed while awake.

 His hair was a mess though.

  _'...a cute mess.'_

  _'No!'_

 Armin turned and buried his face in his pillow, internally scolding himself. He lay there, inhaling and exhaling heavily, fingers clenched and curled up in the fabric of the pillowcase.

  _'You'd think after a few years you'd get over a crush.'_

_'Maybe it's not a-'_

  _'It is. Now shut up and get up. Lying there staring like a creeper isn't going to help anyone with anything.'_

  _'But-'_

  _'Up!'_

 Armin grumbled and rolled over, pushing himself up. He ran a hand through his hair. It was a dishevelled nest, worse than Eren's own.

 And he smelt. Awful.

 Cringing slightly he kicked his blankets off and slid out of bed. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table- there'd been one there when he'd arrived, no doubt included in all the rooms to help the students keep track of time- and frowned. Six thirty-five.

 It was earlier than he usually got up on a weekend, but he supposed school started in a few days. Assuming a routine wouldn't hurt.

  _'...and the earlier the better. You know you're going to have to wake up Eren when school starts after all.'_

 With a soft sigh Armin gathered his clothes for the day, tugging his binder out from under his pillow and collecting a fresh pair of underwear and a singlet from his bedside drawer. He tossed them on his bed, then paused, half-turned toward to wardrobe.

 Rogue looked up at him from the floor, the lifeless toy somehow managing to instil guilt in Armin. Carefully, he bent down and picked it up, tip-toeing over to Eren's bed and placing the toy in the corner against the wall. He swallowed thickly, glancing down to see if he'd disturbed the other.

 Eren snored on blissfully however, completely unaware of his best friend's presence.

  _'Handsome...'_

  _'Armin he's_ snoring _.'_

 With Rogue in place, Armin walked back over to the wardrobe and selected his outfit for the day. A plain white shirt, blue hooded jumper, and a long, loose pair of pants seemed appropriate, as the weather outside was still cold. Then he grabbed his hair brush and headed into the bathroom.

 He locked both doors, then stripped down and hopped into the shower. It was a simple, square unit, and the glass was uncomfortably clear. The only mirror in the room was positioned over the sink however, so at the very least he didn't risk catching sight of himself. It was bad enough having to look at his body when he washed, but actually viewing it as a naked whole made his skin crawl and his eyes burn with tears.

 Armin shook his head, attempting to clear it of negative thoughts, then turned on the shower. He muffled a yelp as cold water sprayed down on him. Reaching out he adjusted the temperature, then set about washing his hair and cleaning the rest of his body.

 He finished quickly, dried off, and dressed himself. Then he approached the sink, chewing on his bottom lip as he looked at his hair. 

  _'Oh god I look like a blond Pomeranian.'_

 He went about the task of taming his atrocious hair, brushing it until it lay flat against his scalp. He'd been teased for his hair before, but it was one of the few things about his physical appearance that had never bothered him. Except perhaps when it decided it wanted to resemble a small, fluffy dog.

 He finished with his hair, giving his reflection a half-smile before unlocking both bathroom doors and leaving the room. Eren slept on, oblivious to Armin as he bustled around the room, folding his pyjamas and placing them under his pillow. Then he bundled up his dirty clothes and tossed them in the basket beside the wardrobe.

 With that done, Armin turned to look at the clock. It was almost seven.

  _'Should I wake Eren?'_

 A glance in the other boy's direction completely crushed any desire to disturb him however. He still looked as ridiculously cute as before, perhaps more so now that his snoring had ceased. With a smile and a shake of his head, Armin decided to leave him alone. There were other things he could do whilst Eren slept.

  _Growl._

 Like feed himself.

 With soft steps Armin crossed the room and exited. He was mildly surprised by the lack of creaking from the bedroom door, so used to the pained groans of his own at his grandfather's house. It was a nice change though, and it allowed him to hear the sounds of someone in the kitchenette.

 Quietly he approached, spotting the tall figure hunched over the counter. Bertholdt. His back faced Armin, unaware of his presence as he continued to make what smelt like hot chocolate. Armin stood silently. He felt as if he were trespassing. When he'd stayed over at the Jaeger's it had never felt like that, their morning routine always open for him to join. But Bertholdt was different, and Armin felt guilty disturbing him.

  _'He'd probably die if he turned around and saw you standing here though.'_ With that thought, Armin approached the island counter, leaning against it awkwardly. 

 “Good morning Bertholdt.”

 “Ah!” The other boy gasped. Armin recoiled, pressing a hand to his mouth as Bertholdt sloshed boiling hot chocolate all over himself.

 “Oh god oh god,” he panicked, rushing around the counter and over to Bertholdt. He turned on the cold water and yanked the mug out the other's hands, before pulling them under the faucet. “God Bertholdt I'm so sorry.”

 “N-no it's not your fault,” Bertholdt stuttered, gnawing on his lip as the cool water ran over his burnt hands. “I jump too easily.”

 “No no, I'd probably jump too,” Armin said, ducking his head. “Most people would. Don't blame yourself.”

 “I-” Bertholdt began, but never continued. The two stood by the sink in silence, Bertholdt with his hands under the water and Armin shuffling beside him.

  _'Awkward...'_

 Armin glanced around the counter top, eyes falling upon the small roll of paper towels standing beside the sink. He reached over and tore off a few segments, before wiping up the spilt hot chocolate. He peered into Bertholdt's cup, frowning.

 “It looks like you'll need a refill,” he murmured, looking up at Bertholdt. “I'm sorry again.” The other boy just shook his head, removing his hands from under the water.

 “It's fine,” Bertholdt said, clearing his throat. “Uh, do you want one?”

 “A hot chocolate?” Armin asked. Bertholdt nodded. “If it's not too much trouble, sure! Do you want any help?”

 “It's fine,” Bertholdt shook his head. Armin decided not to push him. Instead he threw away the used paper towels and went in search of breakfast.

  _'Maybe I can make him something too,'_ he thought, opening the small cupboards built into the counter. “What do you want for breakfast Bertholdt?”

 The other boy hummed softly, spoon chinking against the mug as he stirred the cocoa. Armin waited patiently for his response, shuffling through the boxes of cereal. He assumed they were supplied by Reiner and Bertholdt, as he doubted any school would keep seven boxes of Fruit Loops in their students' rooms. 

 “W-would Rice Bubbles be alright?” Bertholdt asked. Armin repressed a sigh.

 “I don't think your breakfast needs my approval Bertholdt,” he said, retrieving the cereal box. “But it does sound good.” He stood, being careful not to bump into Bertholdt, and moved around to the dining table. Bertholdt followed, carrying their mugs of hot chocolate.

 “Hmm, where are the bowls?” Armin asked, placing the Rice Bubbles on the table. Bertholdt pointed at one of the cupboards over the kitchen counter. Armin collected the appropriate eating utensils, as well as milk Bertholdt had left out.

  _'He cleaned everything else up though,'_ he thought, smiling slightly. _'He's a clean room mate, thank god.'_

 He returned to the table, and the two began to eat their breakfast in relative silence. It was less awkward than before however, and Armin felt no need to talk until he glanced up at the Rice Bubbles's packet. The three mascots on the box had been drawn over with black marker, into what Armin guessed were caricatures of Reiner, Bertholdt, and one other person that he didn't recognise.

 “Did Reiner do that?” He asked, swallowing a mouthful of cereal. Bertholdt looked at him over the top of his mug, confused. Armin nodded toward the box. The taller boy's face lit up, cheeks flushed.

 “I forgot that was there...” he mumbled, taking a sip of his drink. He frowned slightly, and Armin could see him putting together the words he wanted to say. “Yes, Reiner drew that. It's...something he's done for quite a while. It's always been my favourite cereal so, uh...he likes to decorate it for me.”

 “Huh,” Armin looked back at the box, his lips twitching up into a grin. “That's kind of cute.”

 “It's okay if you think it's childish...” Bertholdt murmured, face bright red. “We're eighteen and yet he still does stuff like this.” His tone made it clear he had no aversion to Reiner's dotage however.

 “No, no, it's nice. I like it.” Armin smiled, before he bit his lip. “But you're eighteen? I didn't know you two were in your senior year!”

 “O-oh, ah, we're, um...” Bertholdt frowned, brow furrowed as sweat started to drip down his temples. “We're not in our senior year. We're...we're in our first year.” Bertholdt looked away, knuckles pale as he gripped his mug.

  _'That's interesting,'_ Armin thought. _'Were they held back or something...?'_ He watched the other, noting his discomfort. _'Better not question him further. You know what it feels like to be asked about things you'd rather keep private.'_

 With that Armin grinned, expression as sunny as he could make it. He had no desire to make Bertholdt uncomfortable.

 “Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter how old you are,” he said, twirling his spoon in his cereal. “For most things really. I mean, my friends and I are sixteen and we've still got plush toys.”

 Bertholdt managed a small smile at that, relaxing slightly. His shoulders eased up and he sat a little taller. Armin felt his own tension fade. Though his nervous nature meant he had to be careful with his words and actions, Bertholdt was a good room mate to have. Neither malicious nor nosy, at least to his knowledge, he seemed to be a pleasant person.

  _'Are you sure?'_

  _'Uh...'_

 Before his mind could twist his thoughts, a door opened. Reiner's head popped out of his room, peering around to the side. He gave a little wave before stepping out, shutting the door behind him and approaching the table.

 “I thought I heard something,” he said, mussing up Bertholdt's hair. Bertholdt made a small sound, though whether it was of protest or appreciation Armin couldn't tell. 

 “Sorry if we were too loud,” Armin said. Reiner simply waved a hand, leaning over the table to take up Bertholdt's spoon and scoop up his cereal.

 “It's fine. I couldn't hear you guys talking or anything,” Reiner reassured. He spooned up some more Rice Bubbles, offering them to Bertholdt. The taller boy flushed brightly and shook his head, so Reiner simply shrugged and shoved them in his own mouth. “I just thought I heard Bertl cry out, so I figured I'd come see if everything was alright.”

 “Uh...” Bertholdt bit down on his lip, face full of shame. “I didn't mean to wake you Reiner.”

 “So you did cry out?” Reiner asked, concerned.

 “I-I...yes, but it's nothing to worry about.”

 “Bertholdt.”

 “I got boiling water on myself, but it's fine!”

 “Bertholdt!”

 “No, look.” Bertholdt held out his hands. “It's fine. Armin got them under cool water fast, and it wasn't a lot anyway.”

 Reiner fell silent, gently taking Bertholdt's outstretched hands in his own and surveying them carefully. He turned them this way and that, clicking his tongue at the redness of them. It was strangely intimate, and Armin felt like an intruder for the second time that morning.

 “This still looks sore,” Reiner commented. He touched the red patches softly, raising an eyebrow when Bertholdt flinched. “You should put more water on it.”

 “Yeah,” Armin said. He felt slightly awkward as two sets of eyes turned to him. Neither one looked at him in a nasty fashion however, so he continued. “You're supposed to run cool water over the burn at regular intervals all day. It's not a big burn so you'll probably be okay, but still...”

 “Better safe than sorry,” Reiner finished, clapping Bertholdt on the back. “You heard the doctor, Bertl. Cool water for your hands, and take a painkiller if they hurt too much.” With that, Reiner took hold of the Rice Bubbles's box and milk, and walked into the kitchenette. He poured himself a bowl of cereal, and then settled in, bent over the counter.

 Armin watched him, finishing up his own bowl as he did. A part of him wanted to offer Reiner his seat, but the blond boy looked surprisingly content leaning against the kitchen bench, beaming over at him and Bertholdt.

  _'Perhaps he doesn't like sitting down. Or sitting still. He definitely doesn't like to sit still, if his behaviour last night was anything to go by.'_ He paused for a moment, tired memories of last night flooding back. _'And what on earth were we watching? All I remember were some naked men having water fights and some weird red thing. With eyes.'_

 Armin shrugged, sliding his bowl to the side and picking up his hot chocolate. Across the table, Bertholdt ate quietly, glancing subtly over at Reiner every time he thought the blond wasn't looking. It was odd behaviour, and it wasn't the first time he'd done it. Armin doubted Reiner would notice though. The larger boy wasn't stupid, at least not in Armin's opinion, but Bertholdt's looks were quick and secretive.

 If anything, the only reason Armin noticed was because he spent most of his time _looking_. He was filled with the desire to see things, from the world's natural wonders, to small smiles shared, to the words in the books he read. The slight trembling of a fist in anger, the nervous tapping of fingers. Armin was an observer.

 It was fortunate then that he also tried to understand what he saw. Even if he didn't entirely trust himself, he made it his duty to learn. Why the ocean was blue, why a person acted as they did, how the threads of a story linked to the plot as a whole.

  _'Why does Bertholdt look at Reiner like that?'_

 “So, Armin...” Armin snapped to attention, Reiner's voice cutting through his thoughts. The blond was fiddling with his spoon, twirling it around his fingers with a level of hand-eye coordination Armin could never hope to achieve. “Why'd you come here?”

 “To St Maria's?”

 “Yeah. Most kids don't go for sixth-form schools, especially not boarding ones. Not unless they really want the qualifications for something.”

 “Hm, fair point.” Armin thought for a moment, blowing on his drink. “It's...hard to explain. I was looking for universities and colleges when I came across the page for St Maria's. It looked good, so I read through the whole thing and was sort of taken by it. But it seemed beyond my skill level so I left it.” He paused. There were parts to this story he didn't want to tell. They were unpleasant, and bringing them up often brought unwanted questions.

  _'But why Armin? Why were you bullied at school_ so much _that you couldn't bear the thought of going back? Why'd you have to change schools Armin? Why?'_

 “Eren found out though, about my interest in St Maria's. I must've mentioned it randomly or something, but once he knew he started to pester me about it. 'All of us are good enough to go Armin, it'll be great', and that sort of thing. Mikasa agreed with him, and they made me sit down and really think about it. They both said they'd go along with whatever I chose, though I don't understand why they trusted me with the decision. But I thought about it and I figured it'd be a good experience. An adventure, Eren would say.” He laughed softly. “As far as my actual aims go, I'm not sure. I know I want to go travelling at some point, but universities and career paths...I'm still uncertain. The electives I picked were mostly just things I thought would be interesting.”

 “Hm, it's alright to be undecided Armin,” Reiner said. “If they accepted your enrolment, that means they must considered you capable of handling the work here. Beyond that, I doubt you're the only one who's unsure of things. I mean, even I'm still struggling with my career paths, though...”

 “Though?” Armin encouraged, genuinely interested.

 “I have managed to narrow it down to two,” Reiner said. Armin waited for him to continue, watching as the other's smile grew larger. When he didn't say anything, Armin decided to push a little. Reiner wasn't Bertholdt, and it was obvious the other _wanted_ to say something.

 “And those are...?”

 “Sports superhero or gay porn star.”

 Armin's surprised snort was drowned out by Bertholdt's sudden choking. Reiner guffawed before walking around his friend, patting him on the back as he forced himself to swallow the last of his breakfast. Armin waited until they were finished before letting out a huff.

 “Are those seriously what you're considering?” He asked.

 “Not the second one,” Reiner chuckled, clearing up the bowls on the table. “Though you can't deny I've got the physique for it.” Armin chose not to comment, simply shaking his head. He smiled though. The smile was essential.

  _'Did he just come out or am I overthinking this?'_

 “The sports thing though, that's serious.” Armin looked back to Reiner as the blond took his empty cup from his hands, moving around to the sink. “I'm not sure which one, not yet, but I'm hoping to figure it out while I'm here, maybe get a uni scholarship for it, and then take the world by storm.” He was silent for a moment, the sound of running water signifying he'd turned on the tap.

 “You'd better be there to see it Bertl, cause it's gonna be great.”

 Armin glanced over at the taller boy. Reiner had made that comment specifically for him, an odd thing to do in the middle of his conversation with Armin. Bertholdt's face was tense, but as he watched it relaxed. His eyes lit up at Reiner's words, his lips twisting into a half-smile.

  _'Guess he doesn't want to get left behind by Reiner. Not that I can't sympathise...'_ Thoughts of Eren, and Mikasa, passed through his mind. The idea of them leaving him behind was terrifying, especially when it came to Eren. They'd been together his whole life, a constant in the sea of change.

  _'Life without him would be...'_

 Armin didn't want to think about it.

 “Anyway-” Reiner was cut off, his words shut out by the sound of the door opening. Armin turned to look over his shoulder, and laughed. Reiner joined in, and even Bertholdt let out an odd, strangled noise at the sight before them.

 “God you guys are _loud_ ,” Eren complained, running a hand through his ridiculous bed-hair. He looked liked a recently electrocuted cartoon character.

  _'Cute.'_

  _'Damn it Armin.'_

 “Should be a law against this much noise on a Sunday.”

 “Eren...” Armin shook his head, slipping out of his seat. “Come on, eat breakfast. You'll feel better!” Eren sat down, shoulders slumped. Reiner snorted at the sight, sliding a clean bowl filled with Rice Bubbles and milk across the counter. Bertholdt reached out and passed it over to Eren, who promptly began shovelling it into his mouth.

 Armin could only smile as Eren's face grew bright, his earlier dismay faltering as his stomach filled with food. Peering at him from the corner of his eyes, Eren finished the bowl and grinned.

 “I _told_ you so,” he said, in a pathetic imitation of Armin's voice. They all burst into laughter, and Armin couldn't even bring himself to half-heartedly swat the other.Instead he simply leant over the table and laughed louder, fuelled on by the delighted look on Eren's face. He never wanted that look to disappear.

 For the rest of breakfast, it didn't, and nothing made Armin happier than that.

…......

 “Eren, are you ready?”

 “Yeah, yeah, almost!”

 Armin sighed, standing by the door and shuffling his feet. Having been showered and dressed since before breakfast, he'd been able to get himself cleaned up in seconds. With only his teeth to be brushed and his warm gloves to put on, getting ready had not been a monumental task.

 The same could not be said for Eren.

 The other boy flailed around for an hour, eating breakfast and then rummaging about for his shirt, which he swore he put in the wardrobe. Armin had promptly removed it from his bedside drawer and then left the room. While Eren had showered, he'd sat on the couch with Bertholdt, and watched whatever happened to be on the television at the time.

Then Reiner had come out and convinced Bertholdt to put his hands in a bowl of cool water, before going off to get dressed himself. He'd emerged from his own room ten minutes later washed and clothed, and asked if Armin and Eren would be averse to his company for a short while. Apparently he planned to visit a female friend of his. Armin guessed she was the one drawn on the Rice Bubbles's box, but he couldn't be sure. Armin had told him it was fine, and he was completely cool with Reiner hanging out with them.

By the time Eren had finished showering and dressed, Armin had texted Mikasa and told her to meet them by the main building's double doors.

And then Eren had decided he wanted to find his gloves. Armin hadn't objected. Partially because Eren had a right to wear his gloves, and partially because Eren had said that if Armin was going to wear gloves, then he had to as well.

_'Like...a couple? With matching clothes?'_

_'No, like it's cold outside and you both get the chills around the same temperature.'_

Either way, Armin's momentary joy at the thought of Eren wearing clothes because _he_ was wearing similar clothes was crushed. Logic aside, standing beside a door for fifteen minutes while the other continued his quest for gloves made the entire thing seem much less appealing.

“Does Eren always take this long getting ready?” Reiner asked, lounging on the couch beside Bertholdt. Armin let out a loud sigh.

“Depends,” he said. “If he knows where everything is, he'll be ready in an instant. Same if he really wants to be somewhere. But otherwise...”

“Guess he's not too interested in walking around the school then?”

“He is, but it's not something urgent and he still doesn't quite know where everything is yet.” Armin paused. “Probably because I put most of it away.”

“Ah well, I hope he's got more urgency when it comes to getting ready for class.” Reiner laughed. “Otherwise I can think of a few teachers who are gonna love tormenting him, poor guy.”

Before Armin could respond, Eren burst out of their bedroom door. His hands were covered in his bright green gloves, and his expression was slightly guilty.

“They were at the bottom of my bag,” he chuckled awkwardly. Armin simply shook his head, and Reiner snorted. The larger boy pushed himself off the couch, and after giving Bertholdt a tap on the shoulder, sauntered over to the door.

“Off we go then,” Armin said, walking out the door. “I told Mikasa we'd meet her by the main doors. Bye Bertholdt!” He waved. The taller boy nodded meekly, his hands still resting in their bowl of water.

The trio made their way downstairs. Traversing them was much easier, Armin found, now that they were going down and no longer carrying their luggage with them. They walked through the lobby and out the door, Reiner giving Henning a casual wave as they passed. Henning returned it, before turning back to his computer. The soft noises coming from it convinced Armin that the older man was most definitely playing Tetris.

Upon exiting Dorm Rose Reiner let out a loud noise, stretching. Unlike Armin and Eren, both wearing jumpers and gloves, he wore only one of his form-fitting shirts, white with short-sleeves. He seemed completely unaffected by the cold.

“So, your friend's waiting for you by the main building?” He said. Armin nodded. “Then I guess I'll walk with you until we get there. I've gotta head to Dorm Sina-” Reiner stopped, looking over the top of Armin and Eren. “Actually, nevermind.”

Armin turned, following Reiner's line of sight. A girl jogged along the footpath. She was short, blonde, and her cold eyes appeared completely uninterested in the world around her. She was dressed for running, wearing track pants and a pale hoodie, and had what appeared to be headphones jammed in her ears.

“Hey Annie!” Reiner shouted, startling Armin. The girl looked up, eyes darting over to where the three of them stood. The cool, calculated look in her eyes coupled with her impressive nose reminded Armin of a bird of prey.

_'She's a bit...scary.'_ It was difficult to imagine her being friends with someone as jumpy as Bertholdt, or as  boisterous as Reiner.

“Annie, come here!” Reiner shouted again, waving at her. Yet Annie continued jogging, her path unchanged as she frowned at Reiner. The large blond opened his mouth so call for her again, but before he could she interrupted. Her voice was flat, with a chilling edge.

“If you want to talk,” she said, “keep up with me.” 

“I-” Reiner started. He stopped though, sighing and shaking his head. “Damn it Annie.” He placed a hand on both Armin and Eren's shoulders and gave them an smile. “Looks like she's being antisocial. Hope you don't mind if I ditch you here?”

“Ah, I guess it's okay,” Eren shrugged. His eyes were still on Annie, who had continued running forward. She didn't even look back to see if Reiner was behind her. “You were heading out to see her anyway.”

“Alright, see you guys both later!” Reiner clapped them both on the shoulder, then turned and started pursuing Annie. The girl had travelled far in the short amount of time it had taken Reiner to say farewell, and showed no signs of stopping. Armin watched the two of them run for a moment, before turning to face Eren.

“That was kinda weird,” Eren snorted, finally looking away from Annie. “Seems kinda dickish to just keep running like that.”

“I'm sure it's just how they are,” Armin said. “Besides, if it bothered Reiner I'm sure he'd say something. But he's just...running after her. It's probably a normal thing for them.”

“Yeah but I figured she'd, y'know, come over and say hi?” Eren sighed. “Ah well, let's just meet Mikasa. She's probably been waiting for a while now.”

“Ah, I hope she wore something warm...” Armin rubbed his arms through his jumper. Eren glanced at him, looking thoughtful, then slung an arm around his shoulders. Armin's face flushed, cheeks dusted with pink.

“That better?” Eren asked, nonchalantly. It was. Eren was warm, and he could feel his heat through the layers of clothing they wore. It made Armin's stomach flip, and he had to clear his throat before answering.

“Yeah, much better. Thanks Eren.” Eren just grinned at him. Of course, walking was more awkward now that Eren had an arm wrapped around Armin, but Armin didn't mind.

_'It feels nice...'_

Armin's mind stayed strangely silent as the two headed toward the main building. It was a massive structure, four-storeys high and built from grey brick. Many sculptures decorated the roof top, and several large statues of St Maria stood proudly about. There were windows on all floors, small fractions of the rooms within revealed to those who cared to look. Around the edge of the building were small gardens, benches positioned beside them.

The front entrance was impressive, a small set of stairs leading up to large double doors. Over the doors hung the emblem of St Maria's, the face of a beautiful woman with her two sisters, Rose and Sina, positioned behind her. Each one was decorated with their personal motif. Shining wings for Maria, thorns and flowers for Rose, and a shimmering unicorn for Sina.

As they approached, Armin could see Mikasa standing on the front steps. She was, thankfully, dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. Her red scarf was wrapped her neck, but she wore no gloves. In her hand she held her phone, and her fingers were tapping the screen rapidly.

“Mikasa!” Eren called out. She looked up and smiled, fingers still tapping. Armin and Eren jogged up the stairs and stopped in front of her.

“Sorry we took so long,” Armin apologised.

“It's fine, I haven't been waiting long,” she said. “Besides, I've got my phone. Her fingers touched the screen a few more times, before she finally stopped.

“Oh, what're you playing?” Eren asked, looking over her shoulder. “High score, 69. Oh, nice!”

“Thanks,” Mikasa said. “It's just some bizarre game about a bird. Apparently it's difficult. One of my room mates threw her phone against the wall because of it.”

“Really?” Armin raised an eyebrow. He'd seen games frustrate people, being friends with Eren was helpful in that regard, but he'd never seen Eren physically throw something in rage over a game. Well, never anything expensive or breakable.

_'He did almost hit a vase with that pillow though.'_

“Yeah. Ymir is kind of weird,” Mikasa shrugged. “Anyway,” she pocketed her phone, “where did you guys want to go?”

“I was thinking maybe we could try and familiarise ourselves with the layout of the building,” Armin said. “Since we don't really want to get lost.”

“Good idea,” Eren nodded. “Well, let's go!” He headed into the building. Armin and Mikasa followed, looking around. The entrance hall was huge. Like the dorms, there was an administration room to the side, with an open front desk. Behind it sat a woman with pale, short hair and glasses, writing furiously. The trio decided not to disturb her, instead looking around the rest of the room.

The floor was covered in pretty tiles, though they appeared to give way to linoleum in the corridors that shot off from the sides of the room. Directly opposite the entrance were large doors, currently opened. The room beyond held several large, long tables, and from where Armin stood he could see students eating and chatting. The smell of food wafted from within, and thus he made the assumption that it was the mess hall. No doubt the kitchens were located beyond it.

Opposite the small administration room sat what appeared to be the infirmary. The door was closed, but the sign above it did have the word 'infirmary' written in large black letters. There also appeared to be several other doors, with small plaques on them indicating who they belonged to. Armin could clearly see one for the principal's office.

_'Principal Erwin Smith. This school has always been outstanding, but it's only become more prominent since he took over as its head.'_

There were other features within the entrance hall, along with a lot of decoration. Here, unlike in the Dorm Rose lobby, the awards for students and staff alike hung neatly, certificates and photographs framed proudly. There was a board against one of the walls that displayed various sheets of information. Details for clubs, sports, and other activities hung alongside maps, safety information, and other similar things.

“I'm hungry again,” Eren said suddenly. Armin turned to him incredulously.

“Eren, you had three bowls of cereal this morning.”

“But I can smell _pancakes_.”

“Eren...” Armin trailed off. The other boy was looking intently at the mess hall, mouth-watering. Before he could move though, Mikasa stepped forward.

“Wait here,” was all she said, before walking briskly forward and leaving Eren and Armin standing in the middle of the hall. Eren's brow furrowed, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Why does she feel the need to get _my_ food?” He grumbled. Armin laughed lightly, eyes wandering around the room some more. Before long Mikasa returned, carrying a small pile of pancakes on a serviette.

“You've already had breakfast so I don't want you overeating,” she said simply, removing two of the pancakes from the pile before handing the rest to Eren. Eren groaned loudly, but she ignored him as she handed one of the two pancakes to Armin. “Be careful, it's hot.”

“It's fine, I've got gloves,” Armin smiled. “And thank you.”

“It's no problem,” Mikasa replied. Eren gave her a nod of thanks, unable to talk around the pancakes he had stuffed into his mouth. “Eren, you'll choke if you eat like that.”

Armin snorted as Eren grumbled, his words muffled by his food. He gathered the other was saying 'Mikasa' in an exasperated tone however, the one he always used when she babied him.

With pancakes in tow, the trio headed off. They selected a hallway at random and passed down it, glancing at the classrooms as they went. Many were marked with specific numbers and letters.

_'E-1, E-2, E-3. I guess these are English rooms?'_ Armin thought.  He quietly ate his pancake as Eren talked to Mikasa, who had already finished her own snack.  As they walked, a door opened further down the corridor. 

A red-haired woman stepped out, dressed neatly in a button-up shirt and skirt, with stockings. She was definitely older than them, but her features were still fairly youthful.  She was speaking to someone still concealed by the door when she noticed the three of them approaching.

“Oh, hello there,” she said, smiling. The three of them stopped, Armin feeling a bit like a deer in the headlights as the woman looked down at them. Her expression was warm and sunny, but he hadn't really expected her to talk to them. 

“Um, hi,” Eren responded finally. As he spoke, a man appeared from behind the woman. He was incredibly short, smaller than Armin, and he looked rather unamused. His hair was cut like a punk's, but he was dressed impeccably, and wore a cravat around his neck. 

“What're you brats doing?” He asked. Armin resisted the urge to gape, eyes wide. 

_'Did he really just say that?'_

“Excuse me?” Eren growled. Before the man could reply though, Mikasa cut in.

“Looking around the school,” she said coolly. She glanced sideways at Armin. He bit his lip nervously before turning back toward the somewhat-scary teacher.

“Ah, we just wanted to get an idea of the layout,” he explained. “I'm sorry if we're not allowed to be-”

“Tch, it's fine,” the man interrupted, turning his attention back to the red-haired woman. “I'm going to see Erwin. You talk with these kids.” Then he was off, pushing past Armin and striding down toward the entrance hall. Armin watched him go, still surprised by the man's attitude.

“Sorry about him,” the red-haired woman sighed. “Though I suppose it's better you're exposed to him sooner, rather than later.” She paused for a moment, before smiling again. “I'm one of the English teachers here, Miss Ral. That was Levi. He's another English teacher. Head of the department, in fact. He's good at what he does, just don't get on his bad side.” She laughed softly.

“Uh, we'll keep that in mind Miss Ral,” Eren said. He glanced over at Armin, eyes asking for help, but Armin had no idea what to say.

“So...do you three need help?” Miss Ral asked, after a moment.

“Oh, no, we're just looking around,” Armin answered. Miss Ral looked relieved. Clearly she had other things she wanted to do.

“That's fine. Just don't do anything silly.” She beamed at them. “It's so nice to see you kids looking around. Shows some initiative.” Then she closed and locked the door she had exited and gave them a wave. “Goodbye then. Have fun on your walk.”

She headed down the corridor, in a different direction to Levi. Armin watched her go, feeling somewhat confused though nothing _particularly_ strange had happened.

“That was...weird,” Eren said. Armin nodded. Mikasa tugged on her scarf. “Well, let's go see what other bizarre shit we can find.”

With that, Armin and his friends continued on, wondering what other odd things the school had in store for them.

….......

Beyond their encounter with Levi and Miss Ral however, nothing truly strange happened. The school was fairly quiet, most likely due to the fact it was a Sunday and the teachers were busy organising lesson plans and preparing for their new students. After scoping out the school and trying to remember the locations of a few of the classrooms, the trio had decided to eat lunch in the mess hall, before parting ways and heading back to their respective rooms.

The trip back to their room left Armin with a sore stomach, though it was one induced by laughter. Eren, still annoyed from their encounter with Levi, had decided to imitate the man. Upon reaching the top of the stairs he had dropped to his knees and pushed his fingers through his fringe, lifting it up in a manner that was supposed to be similar to the older man.

'What're you lil' shits doing?' He said, exaggerating the man's accent. Armin laughed, clutching his gut. He leant against the wall as Eren pushed forward on his knees, looking exceeding ridiculous. No one else appeared to be around, so Armin was content to let Eren have his fun while he leant against the wall trying to stifle his laughter.

“H-he wasn't that bad!” Armin exclaimed, trying to breathe. Eren simply snorted, dropping his scowl in favour of smiling. He jumped back to his feet, gave his legs a stretch, then walked over to Armin.

“Well I can tell you one thing he definitely was,” Eren murmured, glancing about shiftily. Then he bent his head down and whispered in Armin's ear. “A fucking hobbit.”

Armin choked on his giggles, nudging Eren with his forehead. The brunet looked at him smugly, and he couldn't resist flicking his nose in retaliation. The two laughed, moods bright, and they headed over to Room C14. The atmosphere around them was warm and comfortable.

_'Would it be odd if I wanted to hold your hand now?'_ Armin wondered, looking over at Eren. The other's hand hung close to his own, swaying slightly as he walked. He'd held it many times before, but almost always for comfort. Whether he was helping Eren through a hard time, or he himself needed support, they'd always felt safe in the warmth of one another's hands.

_'And I can't risk losing that to stupid feelings like these.'_ Armin tore his eyes away from the other's hands, bring ing his attention back to the door that now stood in front of them.

And the unfamiliar voices on the other side of it.

“...and it's nice to meet you!”

“U-um, it's good to meet you too, Marco, Jean.”

“Yeah, yeah, nice to meet you, Bertholdt. Anyway, which rooms were free again?”

“More roomies?” Eren guessed. Armin gave him a nod. “You alright?” Another nod. Armin felt rather good right now. He'd spent his day having fun with his two best friends, and the fact that their other two room mates were already rather nice helped instil some confidence within him.

_'You'll regret that.'_

_'Shut up.'_

Eren gave him one final look before pushing open the door. Armin immediately spotted their two new room mates, standing in the middle of the room while Bertholdt fidgeted uncomfortably beside them. They were both taller than Armin, though that was where their similarities ended. One of them had black hair and freckles, and his round face was home to a warm smile. The other had a two-toned undercut, and his longer face would have looked bored if not for his eyes, bright and intense. They both turned to look at the door as Armin and Eren stepped into the room.

“Oh, you must be the other guys Bertholdt mentioned!” The freckled boy exclaimed. His voice was incredibly cheery, and Armin couldn't help but smile at him.

“Well it could only be us or Reiner,” Eren said. “I'm Eren, this is Armin. I guess you two must be our room mates?”

“Yeah, I'm Marco, and this is Jean!”

“Hey.” Jean gave them a curt nod. “Guess you guys scored the good rooms, huh?”

“Well I'm sure all the rooms are good, but we did get the balcony ones...” Armin trailed off as Jean's eyes widened dramatically, eyebrows shooting up his forehead.

“Woah man, your voice is high as fuck.”

Armin's stomach dropped. He felt his skin grow clammy as Jean's words circled in his head, repeating over and over. They morphed from an innocent, if ignorant, statement into something more foul, into faces and voices he wished he could forget.

_'You can't be a guy, your voice is so fucking high. Haven't your balls dropped?'_

_'Are you like a fucking eunuch or something?'_

_'Nah he's just a fucking cuntboy. Ain't that right Armin you tranny?'_

_'S'not even a real guy, what the fuck? You get off on pretending?'_

_'She's a shitty pretender, doesn't even look like a real guy.'_

Jean's face disappeared. Marco's disappeared. Bertholdt's disappeared. The room around them vanished and was replaced by the halls of his high school. Old classmates appeared, voices angry, mocking, disgusted. He felt cornered, trapped, backed up against the walls as they crowded around him. Their words burnt like fire, corrupted like poison. He opened his mouth to fight back, to tell them how _wrong_ they were because they _were_ wrong. He knew who he was, he knew he had the words to protect himself.

But they hadn't come then, and they didn't come now. Instead sweat dripped down his face and his breath caught in his throat, and tears stung his eyes.

“You fuck off!”

Eren.

Eren always saved him. Protected him because he was too weak to protect himself. When he couldn't even open his mouth and talk, his words and mind both failing him when they were all he had, Eren appeared.

Eren got _hurt_ for him.

Eren _fought_ for him.

“Man, what the hell?” Jean's cry snapped Armin back to the present, his voice a foreign element amongst his memories.

“Just fuck off you shitty horseface!” Eren shouted, pushing into Jean's space. The taller boy backed up, clearly alarmed. Beside him Marco stood, waving his arms and talking, trying to calm them both down despite his obvious confusion.

“G-guys please!” Bertholdt stuttered. He looked positively terrified at the sudden conflict, shaking and sweating. He brought one of his hands to his lips and bit down on it.

“Man what the hell is your problem?” Jean exclaimed. Armin turned back to him and Eren. Jean now stood towering over Eren with burning eyes and a snarl. “Seriously they didn't tell me anyone in here had anger issues so what the fuck!?”

“You just fucking leave him alone!” Eren shouted.

“Hey, hey, guys can we please just calm down!” Marco exclaimed, trying to move between them. Eren growled when he raised his hand though, and the freckled boy flinched away. For a moment, the air was thick. Eren glared at Jean, Jean glared at Eren, and violence seemed to be one wrong word away. Marco stood to the side helplessly and Bertholdt's hand was bleeding from where he'd bitten in too deeply.

_'They're going to fight if you don't do anything Armin.'_

_'They're going to_ hurt  _each other.'_

_'You've got to stop this!'_

Armin opened his mouth and-

“Oi!”

-closed it again. He turned to look over his shoulder at the door, where Reiner and Annie stood. The older boy's face was drawn into a harsh frown, brows furrowed and eyes stern. The rest of the room fell silent as everyone looked over at the two newcomers.

“Hm,” Annie hummed. She gave Bertholdt a small wave, a single twitch of the wrist, then turned on her heel and began walking down the corridor.

“Annie!” Reiner exclaimed.

“Not interested Reiner,” she said. “I've got better things to do than deal with your dramas.” Then Armin heard the sound of footsteps against stairs and he knew she was gone.

“Alright, anyone want to tell me what the hell just happened?” Reiner asked, shutting the door behind him. Armin noticed his eyes dart over to Bertholdt, who moved his hands behind his back and glanced away.

“This fucker-”

“Fucking bastard-”

“No, stop.” Reiner held up his hands and both Eren and Jean shut their mouths. Reiner's eyes passed over Armin and locked onto Marco. “Sorry, can I get your name?”

“Uh, sure,” Marco hesitated slightly. “I'm Marco Bodt, and ah, that's Jean Kirschstein. We're your new room mates.”

“Good to meet you Marco. Now, you want to tell me what happened?”

“I'm...not really sure what happened. We were just talking and then Jean said something and Armin froze up, and then Eren kinda-”

“Lost his fucking shit!” Jean interrupted. Eren whipped around to glare at him, and Jean took a step back. “Fucking hell what's wrong with you!?”

“Stop!” Reiner boomed. Silence fell again as the blond ran a hand over his face, shaking his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose. Armin felt guilt gnawing at his stomach. None of this would've happened if it weren't for him. If he had stopped Eren, if he had ignored Jean's statement, if he hadn't freaked out, if he weren't a useless pathetic excuse for a human being.

“Armin, are you okay?” Reiner said finally. Armin looked at him and nodded weakly.

“I'm fine, I just...” he trailed off, before swallowing. It was his job to fix this. He turned to Jean, forcing a smile despite the unpleasant air that filled the room. “Sorry. I, uh, I got teased a lot about my voice when I was younger. _Please don't ask me for more details._ But it's fine, honestly! And Eren, well, he's kind of over-protective! I'm sorry things got weird, it won't happen again!”

Armin did his best not to cringe as Jean frowned. For a moment everything was quiet. Then Jean let out a heavy sigh and scratched the back of his neck.

“Yeah okay whatever, I'm just gonna go unpack. Don't wanna deal with this right now.” And with that he picked up his bags and passed through the door on the left side of the room. Everyone watched him do it, before Marco suddenly sprung to action, face slightly anxious despite his smile.

“I'm sorry about Jean,” he said. “He was kind of insensitive. I've only known him for a year, but he's always been like that as far as I can tell. He's a good guy though, I promise.”

“It's fine Marco,” Armin smiled, giving Eren a small slap on the arm when the other opened his mouth. Now wasn't the time to antagonise anyone, and it most definitely wasn't the time to upset their room mates, with which they'd be living for the next few years. “It's my fault for freaking out anyway.”

“I wouldn't say that,” Marco shook his head. “Anyway, I'll just, uh...go unpack with Jean. Guess I'll see you guys in a bit.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Armin gave Marco an awkward grin as the freckled boy gathered up his bags and rushed into the room Jean had previously entered. He waited until he heard the soft click of the door closing before he sprung off, rushing into his bedroom without looking back. He heard footsteps behind him, but they stopped at Reiner's voice.

“Eren, can I talk to you for a sec?”

Armin didn't wait to hear his friend's reply as he pulled the door shut behind him. He knew he should go back out there, defend Eren if Reiner scolded him. He'd only been protecting him after all. Weak, pathetic him who couldn't even have the right voice or the right body or anything.

His body shook as he stumbled over to his bed and curled up on top of it. He reached out to Bard, taking up the plush toy and clutching it to his chest, then closed his eyes. He tried to ignore the words in his head, crashing over him likes bitter cold waves.

_'I told you things would go wrong.'_

_'Told you...'_

_'I told you'd you regret it...'_

_'Regret...'_

_'Wrong...'_

He fought against the sobs that built up inside him, shoulders quaking.

_'Your second day here and everything's already gone wrong. And it's because of you.'_

_'Because of you...'_

_'It's because you're wrong, Armin Arlert. Everything about you is wrong.'_

Armin couldn't stop the tears from falling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Thank you so much for all your kind comments and kudos -and bookmarks too-, I'm super glad that people are enjoying this! I hope I can continue to write stuff that you have fun reading!)  
> -POV change due next chapter (probably Jean, even though i can't write him.)  
> -Also creating a situation which causes Jean and Eren to actively dislike each other was hard until iI remembered Eren flies off the handle over many things and Jean has the amazing ability to stick his foot in his mouth  
> -I hope my writing is okay!! If you spot any errors feel free to tell me, if you want!! I have read over it, but I am only human...  
> -And I'm super super sorry this took so long to write i am a snail OTL  
> -Also i just realised my replies to comments count as actual comments. Egh, whoops. I'm not trying to increase my comment count! D: I just like replying to everyone OTL sighs
> 
> (Edit: This story may very well be on a permanent hiatus, but I won't confirm that. If it is, thanks to the folk that read it, and if it isn't you may one day find an update to this thing.

**Author's Note:**

> (If you made it this far thank you so much for reading the first chapter! Sadly all I've got for you are author's notes, OTL)  
> -Feel free to play a game of 'what's that anime', I'm super curious to see what you think it is (it's obvious Lucas).  
> -I cut out the line 'Reiner Braun's Sandwich Tower of Dicks' because reasons. I included it here because the world deserves to know it existed.  
> -Fair warning: there will probably be more ships and characters than recorded above, I'm just not sure how much focus they'll get at this stage  
> -Also warning: POV will change, so we'll be getting more than just Armin's perspective. But next chapter still belongs to our dear Arlert.  
> -The school system used in this fic is a mish mash of....other school systems. also this place is an oh&s nightmare  
> -Also here's a tumblr link to some scribbles (by me, OTL) of the plush toys mentioned in this chapter: i also have a scribble of the main 104 cast (minus Eren, whose supposed to be the POV for the picture) but it's still in...sketchy stages. (http://deadnightmarechronicles.tumblr.com/post/75885920506/the-silly-plushies-thatll-feature-in-the-fic-im)  
> -Thanks again for reading, I hope it wasn't too awful. Sorry for these long ass notes, they'll definitely be shorter next chapter if I include them at all.  
> -And as a final note, this is my first attempt at anything with a lot of chapters in a while, so I'm sorry if I'm slow!!!


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